This was a fun read, following Fred, a young and awkward teen in high school, with a gaming alter ego, Existor, who is widely admired by many people, unlike Fred. When Fred realises that Existor can spread rumours and make his school bullies feel and look awful, he begins to do this regularly, but it starts to get out of control and Fred doesn’t know what he can do—come clean and risk being hated even more, or become truly isolated? This was a really relatable story about the difficulties of social status in school, and what it can be like for teens trying to fit in.

Nathanael Lessore is an incredible writer and it's no wonder that his books fly off the shelves. His writing is so real and relatable and blends humor with big, important themes like grief, family dynamics, online personalities vs the real world, the lies we tell to fit in, and the journey towards embracing who you are. The voice in this one is *chef's kiss*. It's 100% Fred. And the mistakes he makes! As a reader, we're pulled so deep into his world that readers will be shouting at the book telling him, "FRED, NOOOO!".

We talk about the drop in reading for pleasure. It's writers like this that make the world of books accessible and engaging for absolutely everyone. His books are for everyone and What Happens Online is right up there.

I didn't like this book. I found it difficult to get into to begin with, and it didn't really keep my focus as I went through. All the slang phrases just made me confused because I didn't understand any of them. And I felt like maybe I was the wrong audience for this book honestly.
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Something else that really got under my skin is the casual reference to a particular wizarding series. It's well documented that the creator isn't very accepting, and that references to that IP are considered to be support for those views. So that felt kinda uncomfortable for me.
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Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC copy of this book.

Another rib-splitting triumph for young teens; full of the awkwardness, pain and hopeful optimism of adolescence.

Two VERY different boys with one big thing in common – Existor is an online gaming sensation, Fred is the friendless school loser. Nobody knows they’re the same person. As Existor’s popularity and influence grows, Fred realises he can use his alter ego to improve his real life. But as Existor’s concocted rumours and outright lies start to mount up, Fred finds it increasingly hard to keep track of his lies.

With genuinely funny humour that will have you snorting out loud this is the perfect read for young teens who enjoy funny, real-life tales. Fred is an incredibly endearing character, his attempts to balance his real life with his online persona will resonate with many young readers. He is a nuanced, thoughtful yet flawed teenage boy, and a wonderful antidote to toxic masculinity.

Nathanael Lessore has once again delivered what will undoubtedly be a book of the year for many. With his laugh-out-loud humour and skilled character development, it is little wonder that he has won the hearts of both awards judges and readers in their droves. His skill for wordplay and bringing to life the cringe-worthy reality of teenage awkwardness is unsurpassed.

Readers who find themselves stuck in the difficult chasm between Wimpy Kid-esque books and full-on YA novels, will devour What Happens Online. A must-have for all teen bookshelves.

I am a big fan of Nathanael Lessore, as his books deal with relevant topics that impact young people in light hearted and humorous ways. This book deals with bullying, social media, and gaming but in a playful and fun way. The characters are relatable, are impossible not to root for and learn some valuable lessons by the conclusion. I recommend this for young people in particular.

'What Happens Online' is another great novel for younger teenagers by Nathanael Lessore which blends brilliant humour with serious messages. Fred's life is tough - at school, he's invisible at best and a target for bullies at worst, and at home, he's under pressure to 'step up' and help look after his younger brothers as his mum struggles with depression and his dad has to work overseas to keep the family afloat.

The one place where things feel ok is online, where his alter-ego Existor has achieved legendary status through his gaming prowess and his witty put-downs. But when Fred thinks he can use this to his advantage to boost his popularity at school and get-back at his bullies, he starts to lose sight of the relationships that really matter to him, and learns some of the pitfalls of getting sucked into the online world.

This is a terrific story which explores important issues without coming across as too didactic - we can empathise with Fred at all times but also see how sometimes he makes the wrong choices and the consequences of this. It is also incredibly funny, bursting with hilarious jokes and descriptions on every page which teenage readers will relate to.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC of this brilliant novel!

Two identities, two lives - will double personas solve his problems?

4.5 stars

Lessore is one of my newest favourite YA authors, loved all his novels so far, his voice and style, his sense of humour. This for me isn't as strong as the others but still an excellent main character and read.

Fred is ignored at school - at best. Bullied at worst. His mum is depressed following the death of their much-loved grandma, his youngest brother desperate for attention, and middle brother angry. With their dad about to go away for work for several weeks, 14-year-old Fred is prepared to step up and help out.

But he's also needing to vent his own frustrations... and he does this in his online persona Existor. Talented gamer with a witty one-liner ever-ready, it's like he's another person. A better person, one who's respected.

When Fred realises that other kids at school look up to Existor, even those bullying him, he decides to use his privileged position to get some payback and possibly help his real-life self gain some popularity and friends.

It's a valuable look at the difference between real-life living and what we create for ourselves online, and how the two really aren't the same thing. Seeing Fred's family struggling is heart-breaking, how they are all trying to cope and get by. Watching Fred do his best, though still young, but missing so much, with his own worries, feels pretty real.

There are some lovely characters here, Fred's library friends are particularly sweet, and the banter is fun. There's one character who surprised me, though I didn't find I believed the 'twist' there. Still, what do I know, I'm a 44 year old Mum and bookworm.

A great example of the 'getting yourself in it deeper' category, the storytelling lies and 'finding your true self' genre. All gets wrapped up quite neatly, but there's a good story with excellent intentions and setting at its heart.

For ages 11 and above.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

Once again Nathanael shines a light on issues facing teenagers, particularly bullying. I enjoy the way he writes using the more youthful lingo. The thing I have particularly liked about his books though, is the mix of humour with the serious. This story is a bit lacking in that humour, I did find it a bit harder to read because of that. Fred’s life just seemed to be bad all round. I did love the portrayal of the school librarian - shout out librarians!